Blog Kiosk: 6/19/2013 - Dodger Links - Puig, the Dodgers/Yankees Twitter War and Bryan Cranston (of Breaking Bad)

Yasiel Puig is now officially on twitter and Instagram.  The photo is from his Instagram account.  Follow him on twitter here.

• Watch the press conference Yasiel Puig gave at Yankee Stadium yesterday, here.
• Via Jon Wesiman at Dodger Thoughts, "Five things you might not remember about the Dodgers’ 1981 clincher".
• Via Aaron Roberts in the MLB FanCave tells about the twitter war between the Dodgers and Yankees.  It's hilarious!
• Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad fame recently did a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) session for fans.  He was asked who were his heroes, and he responded with some Dodger Blue.  See the thread below.

• Sax at Sons of Steve Garvey let's us know that the 5th grader who stood so tall in defense of the Dodgers has been asked to throw the first pitch at this coming Tuesday's home game against the Giants.  Congrats!
• Night Owl Cards tells us about a Legends of Cardboard: former Dodger Carlos Hernandez. 
• Mark Saxon at ESPN writes, "How the Dodgers found the youngest prospect in MLB".
• Check out this incredible .gif of RA Dickey's knuckleball, via Reddit Dshep.  Here is the FanGraphs article about it.

• Ken Gurnick at MLB.com provides an update on Matt Kemp's hamstring rehab.

"Matt said he was great today, and we'll push him more tomorrow," said manager Don Mattingly. "If that goes good, by the time we leave San Diego [on Sunday], I'm hoping Matt can play in a rehab setting at least three or four days."

• Via Ted Johnson at Variety, "Time Warner Cable Sued Over Spending on Lakers, Dodgers Rights".
• I thought the below video took a good look at what makes Puig successful at the plate.  Check out Mark Brook's blog here.

Video Link:

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A Blue Heaven Chat with Aaron in the MLB FanCave About Yasiel Puig's Visit on Monday

With the Dodgers in New York for a historic match-up against the Yankees, Yasiel Puig decided to take in his day off (Monday) in the big city at the MLB FanCave.  As you probably know, uber-Dodger fan Aaron Roberts resides there, and was on-hand to greet the growing legend.  Thankfully, he was kind enough to sit down with us and share the experience with Blue Heaven.  Check out his what he had to say below.

Q:  Thanks for taking some time to tell me about your day yesterday (Monday).  The buzz around Dodgertown is that the Cuban sensation, Yasiel Puig, visited the FanCave.  What were your initial feelings when you heard he would be coming by for a visit?

(twitter link: @MLBFanCave)

A:  We didn't find out until that morning. You can imagine my excitement waking up to that e-mail! Ha! I was going nuts. I couldn't wait. This guy is a legend in the making from my team, and I get to meet him. I was beyond pumped.

Q:  Tell me a bit about when he arrived.  What did you folks do?

A:  When he first arrived, I had the biggest smile on my face. I had seen him play before at Spring Training this year, but I was still shocked to see how big he was in person. The guy's hands are the size of my head. I was actually pretty nervous to meet him because I was wearing my Dodgers Puig shirt and didn't know if that would make him feel weird or be flattering. After the initial round of introductions, we took him around the Fan Cave and showed him all of the amazing things that we get to see and interact with on a daily basis. He was stoked to see everything and was incredibly energetic. We played ping pong, skee-ball, "MLB The Show," joked around and just generally had an awesome time. He's a super nice and funny guy who really likes being a Dodger. That was the part that really put a smile on my face. The fact that this kid likes and wants to be a Dodger.

Q:  I understand that Yasiel heard the first track to Puig Destroyer and remarked, "that's very good".  Was he rocking out to it?  I'd be surprised if he was familiar with grindcore at all.  Although, with that Mohawk he certainly has the punk look down.

A:  He was jamming to it! Ha! He's definitely got that "rebellious punk" side to him. It was awesome because he had never heard them before and was pumped when we told him that it was a band called "Puig Destroyer."

(twitter link: @MLBFanCave)

Q:  Hey, if Puig were to be in a metal band what instrument do you think he'd play?  How do you think Puig would do if a slam pit started up?

A:  Puig would definitely be either the lead singer who screams into the mic and pumps up the crowd or the drummer who uses a double kick drum and throws in a drum roll at every possible opportunity. And I pity anyone who would ever get into a pit with him! There would definitely be some broken bones that night. The guy is a beast!

Q:  I saw a few pics on twitter of Puig hanging out and noticed that he played some ping pong.  Was he any good?  Did you play him, and if so, who won?

(instagram link: aprilwhitzman)

A:  I did get to play ping pong with him! Definitely one of the many highlights I have while being in the Fan Cave. He was really good too. I fancy myself a fine pong player, but I've got to say that he bested me. It was close, though. We played to five and he beat me 5-to-4. I was a little scared he was going to hit a rocket and my paddle would shatter! Ha ha!

Q:  I also saw him with that huge bat.  Does he plan on taking that out to Yankee Stadium today?

(twitter link @MLBFanCave)

A:  That bat that he was holding is awesome. It's a fixture of the Fan Cave and all the sluggers that come by pick it up. So naturally, Puig went right to it. I'm pretty sure if he used that thing at Yankee Stadium, he'd hit the ball out of Dodger Stadium (get it!? Because it's across the country? I'm so funny!).

Q:  Thanks again for being such a great Dodger FanCave rep.

A:  No, thank you for supporting me and following the MLB Fan Cave! This has seriously been the most amazing experience of my life and I appreciate the questions!

I can't tell you how envious I am of Aaron.  He is immersed in nothing but Baseball and has an opportunity to meet some of the best Baseball players around.  If you're interested in watching a video of Puig's day in the FanCave check out the video they provided below.  It's great.

Video Link:

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Rainout! What a Bummer

This was probably the most anticipated game of the entire season, so naturally the Baseball gods decide to rain on our parade. 

It has just been announced that tonight's match-up between the Dodgers and Yankees has been postponed.

Tonight's @Dodgers-@Yankees game has been postponed. It will be made up tomorrow as a split DH (1 pm, 7 pm ET).
— MLB (@MLB) June 18, 2013

Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times provides more information regarding watching tomorrows split doubleheader on TV.

First game tomorrow will be on KCAL. Second game will be on Prime Ticket.
— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) June 18, 2013

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Blog Kiosk: 6/18/2013 - Dodger Links - Urias, Puig and a 5th Grade Dodger fan stuck in Giants Country Stands Tall

Check out Yasiel Puig in the MLB FanCave, pic via twitter @YasielpuigPuig.

• Jason Parks at Baseball Prospectus provides a brief look at Dodgers 16-year old prospect Julio Urias.

Listed at 5’11’’, the southpaw is actually closer to 6’1’’, with a projectable frame and a present fastball that routinely touches 95 mph on the gun. From an easy, repeatable delivery, Urias works 91-93 with the heater and has two secondary pitches that he can drop for strikes in any situation. While it’s easy to get excited about a would-be high school sophomore pitching in a full-season league, the real excitement comes from the reality that Urias is a very legit talent on the fast track to prospect fame.

• Via Mike Oz at Big League Stew, "Young Dodgers fan ‘stands tall’ against Giants-loving classmates in fifth-grade graduation speech".  This is just awesome! You must watch the video!
• Eric Rodriguez at The Sports Quotient writes, "Delving Into Yasiel Puig’s Unbelievable Debut Week".
• Via Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated, "Yankees and Dodgers give rare spice back to interleague play".
• Ben Reiter at Sports Illustrated writes, "A scout's take on game's big mystery: how to get Yasiel Puig out".

"You've got to go in on him, go in on those hands because big strong guys want to get their arms away from them," says the scout, who was granted anonymity by SI.com so that he could speak freely. "That's where you have to start. He's got to prove to me he can handle that ball. He kind of leans over the plate, maybe you can straighten him up a bit." 

• Gwen Knapp at Sports on Earth writes, "Puig: A Hollywood-style Rookie".

Look into the 22-year-old Puig's future, and you'll see hallucinations. You'll imagine a latter-day Willie Mays, maybe start constructing a Cooperstown plaque from just 13 games in a Dodgers uniform. You'll know it's absurd, but the brain just goes there, on autopilot at the sight of him. Until Puig arrived, it didn't seem possible that an outsider would pity L.A., with its pricey roster sundered by injuries. But the city's joy over him seemed hard-earned, a form of restitution.

• Jon Weisman is back at Dodger Thoughts and shares a interview with Alex Belth of Bronx Banter.
• Via Mark Saxon at ESPN, "Is an Andre Ethier trade inevitable?".
• Holy Moly!  Gellman at Sportscards Uncensored writes about the Puig effect on the rising prices of 2013 Bowman Baseball cards.  Wow!  Puig really is selling for some unbelievable prices.

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A Blue Heaven Chat with Riley Breckenridge of Puig Destroyer

It sure seems like the past couple of weeks has been all about Yasiel Puig.

And, why not?  The Dodgers have been in the dumps, so anything that can divert our attention, even for a little bit, would surely be welcomed.  As it happened, Puig ended up being much more than a temporary departure from our losing ways.  He has become the "next big thing".

Heck, Yasiel Puig's greatness even spawned a new band called Puig Destroyer, and last week the very first track from their first recording went live.  Listen to it at the very bottom.

Well, being an aging metalhead myself, I decided to reach out to a band member for a fun interview.  So, a big Blue Heaven thank you to Riley Breckenridge for taking the time to answer some questions, via email. As you'll notice, I tried to be funny, but that's just not my forte.  Anyway, check out the chat below.  BTW, bandmate Ian Miller also gave an interview to Decibel Magazine that you can check out right here.  You can also get a Puig Destroyer T-shirt here, follow them on twitter here, and as proof of their Baseball fandom bona fides check out their Baseball blog called Productive Outs.

Now, on to the interview.

Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions regarding your new band, Puig Destroyer.

Q:  Obviously, as a die-hard Dodger fan the idea of a Puig inspired band makes so much sense.  I wonder, though how did this entire concept come together?

A:  It's silly, really. The name "Puig Destroyer" came up, in passing, during a discussion of Puig on an episode of the weekly Productive Outs podcast that I do with my good friend Ian Miller. There's an awesome grindcore band called Pig Destroyer that we're both fans of, and I said something along the lines of "There should be a grindcore band called Puig Destroyer". Nine days after that utterance, we are that band. I sent Ian the drum track for "One Man, Five Tools" the next day, he wrote a bass line for it immediately, I enlisted my good friend (and Giants fan) Mike Minnick from Curl Up and Die to do vocals, and Ian pulled Jon Howell (his bandmate in Kowloon Walled City) to play guitar. We'll have an EP done fairly soon.

Blog Kiosk: 6/17/2013 - Dodgers Links - Puig in the FanCave

Yasiel Puig visited the MLB FanCave today.  Check him out above trying out a new bat, pic via twitter @MLBFanCave.  Check out his reaction to the new band Puig Destoyer, here.

• Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers are nearing a new contract, per Ken Rosenthal at Fox Sports.

The Dodgers have made progress on a seven-year extension for Kershaw, and the dollar amount will be above the $180 million the Tigers awarded Verlander, according to major-league sources. The contract would be the largest for a pitcher in baseball history.

• Kershaw is not happy that the above negotiations have gone public.  Per Dylan Hernandez at the LA Times, "Clayton Kershaw upset about report on contract talks with Dodgers".
• It sounds like Puig is here for good.  Via a tweet from Dylan Hernandez.

Even if/when Kemp and Crawford return, Puig will probably remain in major leagues, according to Mattingly.
— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) June 16, 2013

• The Dodgers organization was involved in another bench-clearing brawl.  This time it was in Albuquerque against the Cardinals AAA club from Memphis.  Via Mark Townsend at Big League Stew.
• Joel Sherman at the NY Post writes, "Dodgers gambled big on phenom Puig based on just one BP session".

“I wanted the player,” White remembered during a phone conversation. “And I will tell you how badly I wanted him: I would rather he come to us with the talent I saw and fail to turn those tools into anything than go someplace else and succeed. I couldn’t have lived with that.”

• "Fifty years later, Downing recalls '63 season fondly: Southpaw was key factor in Yanks' pennant, had front-row seat for historic Series," Via Lyle Spencer at MLB.com.

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